Indiana Audubon is proud to present another winter season of great birding and an opportunity for members to view the winter specialties of the north woods February 2021.  Like the Winter Snowy Owl UP Tour, this caravan birding tour would extend the birding possibilities, to a location where both Great Gray Owl and Northern Hawk Owl are more consistently seen, whereas the UP tours have missed these species in past trips.

This year’s dates are February 12-15, 2021 and would be led by IAS member and guide, Shari McCollough.  Shari has toured the Sax-Zim Bog area and is familiar with the locations and birding areas around the Duluth area.   A maximum of 10 participants would be allowed to register, a reduction due to COVID social distancing concerns.

The trip would involve single day drives with no birding to and from the Duluth, MN area the first and last day.  A list of some expected specialty species are included below (*rare).

Golden Eagle
Bald Eagle
Ruffed Grouse
Spruce Grouse*
Sharp-tailed Grouse
Northern Goshawk*
Rough-legged Hawk
Snowy Owl*
Northern Hawk Owl
Great Gray Owl
Black-backed Woodpecker
Northern Shrike
Canada Jay
Common Raven
Boreal Chickadee
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Pine Grosbeak
Common Redpoll
Bohemian Waxwing
Snow Bunting
Red Crossbill
White-winged Crossbill
Pine Siskin

Lodging all three nights will be in a LaQuinta Hotel & Suites in Duluth or similar on the west side of Duluth, which offers complimentary breakfast for participants.  The tentative schedule is below:

Friday, Day 1: Participants should arrive, approximately 10-hour drive, before sunset.  Check in and dinner likely on own, with small group meeting in hotel.

Saturday, Day 2:  Bird by car to Sax-Zim Bog.  Also visit Morse Feeders, Abramson’s Feeders, Owl Avenue and Welcome Center, Meadowlands Sewage Ponds.  Lunch in the field.  Departing back for Duluth, the trip would bird the lakeshore for waterfowl.  Dinner in Duluth (likely on own).

Sunday, Day 3: Morning birding in Yellow-bellied Bog, Pine Warbler Woods, Admiral Feeders, NW side of bog for Northern-Hawk Owl.  Dinner in Duluth (likely on own)

Monday, Day 4: Return trip to Indiana.

TOTAL COST per person: $374.00. Single Supplement: $170.00.  Non-Member Cost: $404.00

To comply with CDC recommendations, all IAS field trips this fall will have the follow restrictions:

• All IAS trip participants must pre-register in advance for upcoming field trips
• All IAS 2020 Field Trips are limited to 10 participants
• All participants are recommended to utilize facial covering and/or social distancing during the field trip
• All participants should plan on traveling separately rather than carpool during multiple location trips

All participants must read and agree to the IAS Field Trip Release to participate in IAS led events and trips.  We hope to see you there!